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			<h1>2. The Council with the Munchkins</h1>

<p>She was awakened by a shock, so 
sudden and severe that if Dorothy 
had not been lying on the soft bed 
she might have been hurt. As it was, 
the jar made her catch her breath and 
wonder what had happened; and Toto put
 his cold little nose into her face
  and whined dismally. Dorothy sat up
   and noticed that the house was not 
   moving; nor was it dark, for the 
 bright sunshine came in at the window,
 flooding the little room. She sprang 
from her bed and with Toto at her 
heels ran and opened the door.
</p>
<p>The little girl gave a cry of 
amazement and looked about her, her 
eyes growing bigger and bigger at the 
wonderful sights she saw.
</p>
<p>The cyclone had set the house down 
very gently--for a cyclone--in the 
midst of a country of marvelous beauty.
 There were lovely patches of 
greensward all about, with stately 
trees bearing rich and luscious fruits.
 Banks of gorgeous flowers were on 
every hand, and birds with rare and 
brilliant plumage sang and fluttered 
in the trees and bushes. A little way 
off was a small brook, rushing and 
sparkling along between green banks, 
and murmuring in a voice very grateful 
to a little girl who had lived so long 
on the dry, gray prairies.
</p>
<p>While she stood looking eagerly at 
the strange and beautiful sights, she 
noticed coming toward her a group of 
the queerest people she had ever seen. 
They were not as big as the grown folk 
she had always been used to; but 
neither were they very small. In fact, 
they seemed about as tall as Dorothy, 
who was a well-grown child for her 
age, although they were, so far as 
looks go, many years older.
</p>
<p>Three were men and one a woman, and 
all were oddly dressed. They wore 
round hats that rose to a small point 
a foot above their heads, with little 
bells around the brims that tinkled 
sweetly as they moved. The hats of the 
men were blue; the little woman's hat 
was white, and she wore a white gown 
that hung in pleats from her 
shoulders. Over it were sprinkled 
little stars that glistened in the 
sun like diamonds. The men were 
dressed in blue, of the same shade as 
their hats, and wore well-polished 
boots with a deep roll of blue at the 
tops. The men, Dorothy thought, were 
about as old as Uncle Henry, for two 
of them had beards. But the little 
woman was doubtless much older. Her 
face was covered with wrinkles, her 
hair was nearly white, and she walked 
rather stiffly.
</p>
<p>When these people drew near the 
house where Dorothy was standing in 
the doorway, they paused and whispered 
among themselves, as if afraid to come 
farther. But the little old woman 
walked up to Dorothy, made a low bow 
and said, in a sweet voice:
</p>
<p><span class="diag3">"You are 
welcome, most noble Sorceress, to the 
land of the Munchkins. We are so 
grateful to you for having killed the 
Wicked Witch of the East, and for 
setting our people free from 
bondage."</span>
</p>
<p>Dorothy listened to this speech 
with wonder. What could the little 
woman possibly mean by calling her a 
sorceress, and saying she had killed 
the Wicked Witch of the East? Dorothy 
was an innocent, harmless little girl, 
who had been carried by a cyclone 
many miles from home; and she had 
never killed anything in all her life.
</p>
<p>But the little woman evidently 
expected her to answer; so Dorothy 
said, with hesitation, 
<span class="diag4">"You are very 
kind, but there must be some mistake. 
I have not killed anything."</span>
</p>
<p><span class="diag3">"Your house 
did, anyway,"</span> replied the 
little old woman, with a laugh, 
<span class="diag3">"and that is the 
same thing. See!"</span> she 
continued, pointing to the corner of 
the house. <span class="diag3">"There 
are her two feet, still sticking out 
from under a block of wood."</span>
</p>
<p>Dorothy looked, and gave a little 
cry of fright. There, indeed, just 
under the corner of the great beam 
the house rested on, two feet were 
sticking out, shod in silver shoes 
with pointed toes.
</p>
<p> <span class="diag4">"Oh, dear! Oh, 
dear!"</span> cried Dorothy, clasping 
her hands together in dismay.  
<span class="diag4">"The house must 
have fallen on her. Whatever shall we 
do?"</span>
</p>
<p><span class="diag3">"There is 
nothing to be done,"</span> said the 
little woman calmly.
</p>
<p><span class="diag4">"But who was 
she?"</span> asked Dorothy.
</p>
<p><span class="diag3">"She was the 
Wicked Witch of the East, as I 
said,"</span> answered the little 
woman. <span class="diag3">"She has 
held all the Munchkins in bondage for 
many years, making them slave for her 
night and day. Now they are all set 
free, and are grateful to you for the 
favor."</span>
</p>
<p><span class="diag4">"Who are the 
Munchkins?"</span> inquired Dorothy.
</p>
<p><span class="diag3">"They are the 
people who live in this land of the 
East where the Wicked Witch 
ruled."</span>
</p>
<p><span class="diag4">"Are you a 
Munchkin?"</span> asked Dorothy.
</p>
<p><span class="diag3">"No, but I am 
their friend, although I live in the 
land of the North. When they saw the 
Witch of the East was dead the
 Munchkins sent a swift messenger to 
me, and I came at once. I am the Witch 
of the North."</span>
</p>
<p><span class="diag4">"Oh, 
gracious!"</span> cried Dorothy. 
<span class="diag4">"Are you a real 
witch?"</span>
</p>
<p><span class="diag3">"Yes, 
indeed,"</span> answered the little 
woman. <span class="diag3">"But I am a 
good witch, and the people love me. I 
am not as powerful as the Wicked Witch 
was who ruled here, or I should have 
set the people free myself."</span>
</p>
<p><span class="diag4">"But I thought 
all witches were wicked,"</span> said 
the girl, who was half frightened at 
facing a real witch. 
<span class="diag3">"Oh, no, that is a 
great mistake. There were only four 
witches in all the Land of Oz, and two 
of them, those who live in the North 
and the South, are good witches. I 
know this is true, for I am one of 
them myself, and cannot be mistaken. 
Those who dwelt in the East and the 
West were, indeed, wicked witches; but 
now that you have killed one of them, 
there is but one Wicked Witch in all 
the Land of Oz--the one who lives in 
the West."</span>
</p>
<p><span class="diag4">"But,"</span> 
said Dorothy, after a moment's 
thought, <span class="diag4">"Aunt Em 
has told me that the witches were all 
dead--years and years ago."</span>
</p>
<p><span class="diag3">"Who is Aunt 
Em?"</span> inquired the little old 
woman.
</p>
<p><span class="diag4">"She is my aunt 
who lives in Kansas, where I came 
from."</span>
</p><p>
The Witch of the North seemed to think 
for a time, with her head bowed and 
her eyes upon the ground. Then she 
looked up and said, 
<span class="diag3">"I do not know 
where Kansas is, for I have never 
heard that country mentioned before. 
But tell me, is it a civilized 
country?"</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"Oh, yes,"</span> 
replied Dorothy.
</p><p>
<span class="diag3">"Then that 
accounts for it. In the civilized 
countries I believe there are no 
witches left, nor wizards, nor 
sorceresses, nor magicians. But, you 
see, the Land of Oz has never been 
civilized, for we are cut off from all 
the rest of the world. Therefore we 
still have witches and wizards amongst 
us."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"Who are the 
wizards?"</span> asked Dorothy.
</p><p>
<span class="diag3">"Oz himself is the 
Great Wizard,"</span> answered the 
Witch, sinking her voice to a 
whisper. <span class="diag3">"He is 
more powerful than all the rest of us 
together. He lives in the City of 
Emeralds."</span>
</p><p>
Dorothy was going to ask another 
question, but just then the Munchkins, 
who had been standing silently by, 
gave a loud shout and pointed to the 
corner of the house where the Wicked 
Witch had been lying.
</p><p>
<span class="diag3">"What is 
it?"</span> asked the little old 
woman, and looked, and began to laugh. 
The feet of the dead Witch had 
disappeared entirely, and nothing was 
left but the silver shoes.
</p><p>
<span class="diag3">"She was so 
old,"</span> explained the Witch of 
the North,<span class="diag3"> "that 
she dried up quickly in the sun. That 
is the end of her. But the silver 
shoes are yours, and you shall have 
them to wear."</span> She reached down 
and picked up the shoes, and after 
shaking the dust out of them handed 
them to Dorothy.
</p><p>
<span class="diag5">"The Witch of the 
East was proud of those silver 
shoes,"</span> said one of the 
Munchkins, <span class="diag5">"and 
there is some charm connected with 
them; but what it is we never 
knew."</span>
</p><p>
Dorothy carried the shoes into the 
house and placed them on the table. 
Then she came out again to the 
Munchkins and said:
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"I am anxious to 
get back to my aunt and uncle, for I 
am sure they will worry about me. Can 
you help me find my way?"</span>
</p><p>
The Munchkins and the Witch first 
looked at one another, and then at 
Dorothy, and then shook their heads.
</p><p>
<span class="diag5">"At the East, not 
far from here,"</span> said one, 
<span class="diag5">"there is a great 
desert, and none could live to cross 
it."</span>
</p><p>

<span class="diag6">"It is the same at 
the South,"</span> said another, 
<span class="diag6">"for I have been 
there and seen it. The South is the 
country of the Quadlings."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag7">"I am told,"</span> 
said the third man, 
<span class="diag7">"that it is the 
same at the West. And that country, 
where the Winkies live, is ruled by 
the Wicked Witch of the West, who 
would make you her slave if you passed 
her way."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag3">"The North is my 
home,"</span> said the old lady, 
<span class="diag3">"and at its edge 
is the same great desert that 
surrounds this Land of Oz. I'm afraid, 
my dear, you will have to live with 
us."</span>
</p><p>
Dorothy began to sob at this, for she 
felt lonely among all these strange 
people. Her tears seemed to grieve the 
kind-hearted Munchkins, for they 
immediately took out their 
handkerchiefs and began to weep also. 
As for the little old woman, she took 
off her cap and balanced the point on 
the end of her nose, while she 
counted <span class="diag3">"One, two, 
three" </span>in a solemn voice. At 
once the cap changed to a slate, on 
which was written in big, white chalk 
marks:
</p><p>
<div class="cartel">"LET DOROTHY GO TO THE CITY OF EMERALDS"</div>
</p><p>
The little old woman took the slate 
from her nose, and having read the 
words on it, asked, 
<span class="diag3">"Is your name 
Dorothy, my dear?"</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"Yes,"</span> 
answered the child, looking up and 
drying her tears.
</p><p>
<span class="diag3">"Then you must go 
to the City of Emeralds. Perhaps Oz 
will help you."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"Where is this 
city?"</span> asked Dorothy.
</p><p>
<span class="diag3">"It is exactly in 
the center of the country, and is 
ruled by Oz, the Great Wizard I told 
you of."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"Is he a good 
man?"</span> inquired the girl 
anxiously.
</p><p>
<span class="diag3">"He is a good 
Wizard. Whether he is a man or not I 
cannot tell, for I have never seen 
him."</span>
</p><p>
<span class="diag4">"How can I get 
there?"</span> asked Dorothy.
</p><p>
<span class="diag3">"You must walk. 
It is a long journey, through a 
country that is sometimes pleasant 
and sometimes dark and terrible. 
However, I will use all the magic arts 
I know of to keep you from 
harm."</span>
</p><p>

<span class="diag4">"Won't you go with 
me?"</span> pleaded the girl, who had 
begun to look upon the little old 
woman as her only friend.
</p><p>
<span class="diag3">"No, I cannot do 
that,"</span> she replied,
<span class="diag3"> "but I will give 
you my kiss, and no one will dare 
injure a person who has been kissed by 
the Witch of the North."</span>
</p><p>
She came close to Dorothy and kissed 
her gently on the forehead. Where her 
lips touched the girl they left a 
round, shining mark, as Dorothy found 
out soon after.
</p><p>
<span class="diag3">"The road to the 
City of Emeralds is paved with yellow 
brick,"</span> said the Witch, 
<span class="diag3">"so you cannot
 miss it. When you get to Oz do not 
be afraid of him, but tell your story 
and ask him to help you. Good-bye, my 
dear."</span>
</p><p>
The three Munchkins bowed low to her 
and wished her a pleasant journey, 
after which they walked away through 
the trees. The Witch gave Dorothy a 
friendly little nod, whirled around on 
her left heel three times, and 
straightway disappeared, much to the 
surprise of little Toto, who barked 
after her loudly enough when she had 
gone, because he had been afraid even 
to growl while she stood by.
</p><p>
But Dorothy, knowing her to be a 
witch, had expected her to disappear 
in just that way, and was not 
surprised in the least.
</p>
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